Personal Growth

Ford, Lincoln, and Me on Taking a Stand

January 28, 2013

People who do great things place their beliefs and convictions higher than their desire to be liked by people. They take a stand for something they believe in regardless of the negative reactions they get.

Edison_Burroughs_Ford

Thomas Edison, John Burroughs, and Henry Ford (photo credit: wikimedia)

When someone is obsessively worried about people liking them, it keeps them from challenging the status quo, leading a life of significance, and thinking and deciding for themselves.

I’ll be honest, I want people to like me. Too often this desire influences my thinking more than I would like it to.

Continue Reading

17 Comments
Personal Growth

How To Keep Worry From Nesting In Your Head

January 24, 2013

I recently spoke with a friend about a serious financial crisis he was going through. Worry was a constant, draining battle, he declared with a sigh.

1342735991_5b94fc0eec_z

photo by ewar woowar

Worry is a strange creature, much like the caterpillars in the picture above. It builds its nest, using our mind to feed it’s growing community of negative thoughts. As worry spreads, it consumes more and more of us. It consumes our energy, our thoughts, and our life. Worry brings about nothing but death.

I am in process of finishing The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. While reading, I stumbled upon a sentence which caught my attention, “Action cures fear.” Schwartz then goes on to define fear as, “worry, tension, embarrassment and panic all stemming from a mismanaged, negative imagination.” It therefore makes sense that action would indeed also cure worry.

Continue Reading

23 Comments
Entrepreneurship

Platform Schmatform

January 21, 2013

This is a guest post by Mike Loomis. Mike helps people launch and grow their dream projects, books, and businesses. He’s a strategic partner to bestselling authors, global ministries, publishers, as well as startups, and aspiring messengers.  Check his website out here and follow him on Twitter here.

Are you stressed about growing your platform? No, you’re obsessed. Right?

platform

Photo credit: MikeBaird

Do you know the number of Twitter and Fan Page followers, accurate to within 3%? How many times per week do you check?

Michael Hyatt is awesome, and so is his book, Platform. Highly recommend it.

A friendly reminder

It doesn’t take 10,000 fans to be successful. And by “successful” I mean financially, as an author, artist, business owner – you name it!

Continue Reading

38 Comments
Personal Growth

We Just Relearned Marriage Lesson #1

January 17, 2013

Today we relearned something very important.

Me, Michael, and Jude

Me, Michael, and Jude

After breakfast, Michael, Jude, and I went out for a walk around town. Walks have always been one of the best ways for Michael and I to connect. Something great happens when we get out of the house and start moving.

Our minds think clearer and we are able to work through things which only get us frustrated and discouraged while at home.

Today we stumbled, well, maybe slammed head on, into something which has been eluding us for quite a while. The revelation of quantity vs. quality.

Continue Reading

18 Comments
Personal Growth

How To Build Confidence And Destroy Fear

January 14, 2013

Everyone faces fear. Everyone has times of low self-confidence, including yours truly.

2592916753_a76a07c7be_z

photo by in da mood

The good news is, each person who is a confident person was not just born that way. They worked hard to get there. This is great news because it means anyone who wants to be confident can be. It isn’t just for the elite few.

I am currently reading The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz. The second chapter is on this exact topic. In fact it is called Build Confidence and Destroy Fear so, lest you think I thought up such a sweet blog post title on my own, I will now set the records straight. I didn’t. I just added the “how to.”

So, let’s get down to business. The business being confident and fearless!

These are the 5 procedures David lays out in his chapter. Perhaps they will change your life as have mine!

Continue Reading

8 Comments
Miscellany

Wisdom Meets Passion [Book Review]

January 10, 2013

I’ve been a long-time fan of Dan Miller of 48 Days. He’s probably in the top 5 of people who have positively influenced my life the most, maybe top 3. Needless to say, I was excited when his most recent book, co-authored with his son, Jared Angaza, Wisdom Meets Passion, came out.

Dan Miller and Jared Angaza

Dan Miller and Jared Angaza

The pair make a great case for how we need both wisdom and passion to be successful and satisfied in life. They show us how to get more wisdom and passion and what living with both looks like.

Dan and Jared could not be more different! Dan is a NY Times best-selling author who helps people think creatively for personal and business success. He lives with his wife on a farm in Franklin, Tennessee.

Jared is a blogger, philanthropist, and founder of an ethical fashion company. He lives a minimal lifestyle with his family in Mombasa, Kenya.

Continue Reading

8 Comments
Entrepreneurship Personal Growth

Take Action and Start

January 7, 2013

A vital thing to remember here at the outset of another year is the importance of taking action. Many people make resolutions and set lofty goals at the beginning of the year, but most neglect to take the action needed to see those goals completed.

Poke the Box by Seth Godin

Poke the Box by Seth Godin

All sorts of negative things creep in when something is not acted upon. There’s doubt, fear, indecision, and insecurity. I’ve learned in business I lose clients if I waffle on a decision or present something indirectly or insecurely.

Solomon talks about this in the Bible. He says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

We need to act quickly and confidently. If we approach a project timidly and in a round about way, we lose momentum, energy, and belief in the project, or worse, ourselves.

Continue Reading

11 Comments
Personal Growth

This Is A Very Short Post About Dripping

January 3, 2013

A drip has given me inspiration today! Dripping your work, as Seth Godin talks about.

3628082590_b8dc01a490_z

photo by John ‘K’

The drip approach to getting your work done looks like this. Every day a little bit more. Not one big bucket full at a time, but a small amount of work on a very consistent basis. You will have a bucket full in no time.

It never feels like much in the moment, but each drop adds to the bucket.

I know the drip method works. I use it every day. I write, a lot. I drip my thoughts onto yellow legal pads, onto post it notes, into journals, and into this blog.

Continue Reading

15 Comments
Miscellany

Year in Review for 2012 [Picture Version]

December 31, 2012

One year ago yesterday marked the last day at my job. I was quitting for the adventure of starting my own business. I had a dream and a plan, now I just had to do it!

As Claudia and I look back over this past year, it’s amazing to see all that has taken place and the opportunities we’ve been blessed with!

Here are just a few of the highlights:

chris and me

Traveled to NYC to meet author, Chris Guillebeau

Continue Reading

16 Comments
Miscellany

Just Take The Tweed Quilt!

December 27, 2012

Each Christmas my family does a gift exchange. This, however, is not your normal gift exchange.

tweed quilt

The tweed quilt

Five years ago, we decided to make our own gifts. And, to top it off, the gift has to be applicable to anyone.

With this in mind, I perused the local thrift stores in search of tweed suits. I had decided to make a wool quilt from recycled suit jackets and needed to find enough wool in shades of grey, blue, and brown to make a good size quilt.

As I gathered, washed, cut, tore, and sewed the pieces of wool together into a uniquely warm and lovely quilt, I thought to myself, “Maybe I should keep this quilt for myself. I could make something else and no one would ever know.”

Continue Reading

12 Comments